Investigating the impact of tea mosquito bug on the phytochemical profile and quality of Indian tea cultivars using HPLC and LC-MS-based metabolic profiling

The impact of biotic and abiotic stress on tea not only reduces yield but also influences flavour, aroma, and phytochemical composition. The tea mosquito bug (TMB) is the major biotic stress that affects the growth, yield, and quality of tea. In this study, we have studied the impact of biotic stress induced by TMB on three Indian tea cultivars: UPASI-2, CR-6017, and ATK-1. The content of antioxidant enzymes and phytochemical composition were found to be increased upon TMB infestation in all tea clones compared to the control. The UPASI-2 tea cultivar showed an effectively increased level of antioxidant enzymes and phytochemicals. HPLC and LC-MS analysis showed a differential production of various secondary metabolites like catechin (flavan-3-ols) and phenolics in control and infected tea clones. Altogether, the specific induction of various antioxidant enzymes, catechins, and phenolics contribute to the defense response of tea plants toward TMB infection. In addition, the analysis of transcriptional variation of key flavonoid genes (PAL, DFR, CHI, F3H, and 4CL) showed induction in infected plants compared to the control.

Automated summary

The impact of biotic and abiotic stress on tea includes reduced yield and changes in flavour, aroma, and phytochemical composition. The tea mosquito bug (TMB) is a major biotic stress that affects the growth, yield, and quality of tea. This study investigated the impact of TMB infestation on three Indian tea cultivars, revealing increased levels of antioxidant enzymes and phytochemicals, as well as differential production of secondary metabolites. Transcriptional analysis also showed induction of key flavonoid genes in infected plants.